Butterfly Conservation Herts & Middlesex Branch

Brown Hairstreak egg - new site

The other Brown Hairstreak egg deep down in a bit of blackthorn sucker growth

Presumed Oak Eggar caterpillar on blackthorn

Searching blackthorn yesterday in a new field near the A1 in VC20 for Brown Hairstreak, yealded 8 Blue-borderedCarpet eggs & 2 Oak Eggar(says Obsidentify)caterpillars + the star of the show 2 Brown Hairstreak eggs ✅ My phone doesn't take photos of eggs very well! @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth

News

For many years Saffron Green Open Space near Arkley, has been searched for Brown Hairstreak eggs but in vain. Yesterday Rohan found 1 egg, E of Borehamwood close to the A1 & within 1 km of the site!!! @savebutterflies.bsky.social @hertscc.bsky.social hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/news.php#17376

Marsh Fritillary (Iain Leach)

Large Blue (Neil Hulme)

Fascinating Swedish study proving that threatened butterflies can still disperse surprisingly long distances eg Marsh Fritillary >8km and more than 10% of Large Blues travelled at least 1km resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🌍

@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @ruislipwoods.bsky.social @woodoaksfarm.bsky.social

....and thats a wrap!

Today is the last day to carry out a survey for the 'core' UKBMS survey weeks. 🤞 the weather has been good enough to fit in your final survey.

Don't forget to get all your data entered by the END OF OCT, otherwise it may not be included in the analysis 📋 📊 Thank you!

Clifden Nonpariel

Clifden Nonpariel

Clifden Nonpariel

It's taken 5 years to repeat this - my 2nd record of Clifden Nonpariel! It was so big I nearly missed it! My eyes were focused on all the smaller moths as I turned the blue/grey egg box over-132 of 17 macro species last night in VC20. Also new season Satelitte. #Teammoth @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

Don't under estimate Lyme Disease - this is truly an horrific story to read!

Plumed Fan-foot (Pechipogo plumigeralis) female

Recorded 1st Plumed Fan-foot (Pechipogo plumigeralis) male in Bengeo recently. However tonight this almost pristine female turned up in sitting room. With Ivy (Hedera helix) as one of its hosts plants, species is likely to expand its range rapidly. @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth

Weak recovery of insectivorous bird populations after ban of neonicotinoid in France, hinting at lasting impacts Neonicotinoids are expected to play a significant role in the decline of bird populations through their adverse effects on food resources (primarily i…

New research - Weak recovery of insectivorous bird populations after ban of neonicotinoid in France, hinting at lasting impacts

#pesticides
HT @jeroenvandersluijs.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @ruislipwoods.bsky.social @woodoaksfarm.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @batconservation.bsky.social #bats #moths

Our butterfly walks programme for 2025 is now complete but we have Brown Hairstreak egg surveys planned and an exciting programme of Zoom presentations coming up. Starting on Wednesday 3rd December at 7.30 - keep that evening free and all will be revealed in due course @savebutterflies.bsky.social

2nd appearance of the Delicate moth in Stevenage garden trap since 2020 @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth #delicatemoth

Best year since 2019 on Stevenage butterfly transect - 1496 counted. Average 1260 over 33 yrs since 1993 @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

The News Quiz - Series 118 - 2. Cards revealed and Reshuffle - BBC Sounds Daliso Chaponda joins for the panel quiz show, all about the news of the week.

Innovative analysis of the Big Butterfly Count, starts at 5 mins 40 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

Interesting - photo of an egg laying Wall Brown at Therfield Heath on the @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social sightings page.
Wonder how long it's been since the species was last seen there?
@andysymes.bsky.social

Yay! Four-spotted Footman in moth-trap Stevenage this morning - a first-ever @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth #mothsmatter #four-spottedfootman #hertsmoths

A Brown Hairstreak butterfly and a fly, both feeding on yellow flowers, bordered by a pale orange rectangle and white text which reads 'Together for Insects'

Insects across the UK are in crisis. 🚨 Which is why we’ve joined forces with Buglife and @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social to create the Big Insect Rescue Plan – and we need your help to shape it!

Have your say here 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/big-insect-r...

A new study from @ukceh.bsky.social using UKBMS data explores the impact of Agri-Environmental Schemes on butterfly abundance, species richness and diversity in England. Some positive relationships uncovered 👍
Learn more here - buff.ly/a0AKpBf
buff.ly/yjNJdeE

There have been 5 or 6 mourning cloaks in the low countries in the last few days. I've only seen one in Belgium in april 2019 (see pic) so let's hope more will come!

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) today in Bengeo garden. @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

A lovely Dewick’s Plusia. A first for me. Found in my Hertfordshire garden this evening. An immigrant moth & possible recent colonist #teammoth @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

One of my favourite butterflies at the Shackledell Grassland Stevenage - Small Copper @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #smallcopper

So pleased you enjoyed your walk - we work hard to provide a varied programme with the hope that attendees will see all our key species during the year! Lovely photos!

@bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social
Really enjoyed the walk around Stafford road open space and Ickenham marsh yesterday 17th August and huge thanks to Nick and Pete for generously sharing their knowledge, showing us around and helping me get my eye in on the Brown Hairstreak, i had the best day 👍🏻

First-ever moth trap record for Purple & Gold Pyrausta purpuralis Stevenage garden @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth @cambsmoths.bsky.social

Therfield Heath, Herts: Adonis Blues now out, joining the throngs of Chalkhill and Common Blues and Brown Argus on site. Direct Sun saw most make a hasty retreat, presumably a result of the heat, but activity resumed in brief cloudy periods
@bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social
@savebutterflies.bsky.social

Therfield Heath yesterday scores of Chalkhill Blues and Adonis Blues (mostly males) but skittish and reluctant to open wings wide for best photos. Also Clouded Yellow @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #AdonisBlue #ChalkhillBlue @savebutterflies.bsky.social

On the off-chance that there's anyone who's not tired of Clouded Yellow photos, here's a male from a north Hertfordshire clover field yesterday. Surely one of our hardest butterflies to photograph, this one was relatively docile in a cloudy spell @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

A very hot walk around #EnfieldChase this afternoon. Highlights were a calling/basking Little Owl, a few Willow Emeralds & numerous Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies & singles of Painted Lady & Small Copper #londonbirds #ukbirds #ukwildlife @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

460 Jersey Tigers

460 Jersey Tigers

460 Jersey Tigers

460 Jersey Tigers

I spoke too soon about Jersey Tiger numbers being lower this year. A record 460 +/- this morning in my VC 20 garden plus 2 wasps causing mayhem. Never wish for a Jersey Tiger! #teammoth @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @wjrpb.bsky.social